The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a funding opportunity through the NIEHS Worker Training Program for small businesses to develop Technology-Enhanced Training Products aimed at improving health and safety training for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers and emergency responders. This initiative seeks applications for the SBIR E-Learning for HAZMAT and Emergency Response (R43/R44), focusing on innovative training solutions such as online courses, augmented reality, and serious gaming to enhance the training experience. The program is crucial for equipping workers with the necessary skills to protect themselves and their communities from hazardous materials exposure, with an estimated total funding of $688,000 available for approximately six awards. Interested applicants can reach out to Sharon D. Beard at NIEHS via email at beard1@niehs.nih.gov or by phone at 984-287-3237, with applications due by November 20, 2025, and anticipated awards announced by June 1, 2026.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the NIEHS Worker Training Program&#8217;s SBIR E-Learning for HAZMAT and Emergency Response (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). Purpose This Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to further the development of Technology-Enhanced Training Products for the health and safety training of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers; waste treatment personnel; skilled support personnel associated with an emergency/disaster; emergency responders in biological hazard response, infectious disease response, and medical waste cleanup; emergency responders in disasters; and worker resiliency training. Technology-Enhanced Training Products as defined by the Worker Training Program (WTP) include, but are not limited to, supporting training through various venues such as online training, mobile device training, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and serious gaming. These advanced technologies complement all phases of training that can enhance, supplement, improve, and provide health and safety training for hazardous materials workers. These products must complement the goals and objectives of the WTP. The major objective of the NIEHS WTP is to prevent work related harm by training workers in how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials. The financial support for this initiative is provided by the NIEHS Worker Education and Training Branch SBIR funds. Initiative Details The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Section126(g), authorizes an assistance program for training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous waste generation, removal, containment or emergency response and hazardous materials transportation and emergency response. The United States Congress assigned responsibility for administering this program to the NIEHS, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS). This funding opportunity will solicit R43/R44 SBIR grant applications to provide support for the development of Technology-Enhanced Training Products for the health and safety training of workers exposed to hazardous materials. This consists of classroom, online, and practical health and safety training technologies for workers and their supervisors, who are engaged in activities related to hazardous materials, hazardous waste generation, treatment, storage, disposal, removal, containment, transportation, or emergency response. To assist organizations in the development of institutional competency to provide appropriate training and education to hazardous waste workers.

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